Joey Barton has revealed Bristol Rovers have honed "aggressive" tactics on the training ground this week, should the Gas need to produce a goal rush to realise their promotion dreams. But the manager insists his team will take nothing for granted against already-relegated Scunthorpe United on the final day of the League Two season on Saturday.
Rovers are fourth in the standings ahead of their 46th and final game, level on points with Northampton Town who occupy the last automatic promotion place. Victory will be enough for the Gas to overthrow the Cobblers if Jon Brady's side drop points at Barrow, but it will come down to goal difference if both sides win. Mansfield Town, Port Vale and Swindon Town could also steal in if both drop points.
Northampton have a five-goal advantage, but Rovers have scored more, meaning Barton's blues could sneak into the top three in the most remarkable fashion if both win but they outgun the Cobblers by five on Saturday.
With that in mind, Barton and his players have spent time plotting methods of attack, should the chance arise to try to wipe out Northampton's goal difference advantage against Scunthorpe, the EFL's worst side who have won just four times this season. However, Barton insists Keith Hill's team will be paid due respect and he will take nothing for granted at the Mem on Saturday.
He said: "We’ve worked through some things today in terms of getting more aggressive if we decide to go that way, but we know we’ve got a team that’s just lost its league status that has got a lot of young players in it who will be proud and wanting to go out of the Football League putting on a good show and there a lot of young kids there who are just starting out in their careers. We expect a physical test and they’ll be wanting to do as well as they can.
"If we’re to give ourselves maximum chance then we must win the game first and foremost. If we get into a position where we can freewheel a bit and then go for it, of course, we will do. For us, it’s about putting on a good show in front of our fans and giving ourselves the best opportunity we can of clinching that third spot.
"The priority for us is winning the game, taking maximum points and, as I say, if we’re able to do that with a bit of comfort, then we’ll go for it.
"But we also know it will be a tough fixture to win because it’s the last game as a Football League club, it’s full of young kids who will be proud and be desperate to put themselves in the shop window for the manager or for next season.
"We’re going to have to be very good to win the game, but also if we want to get the goal difference, which it could come down to, we’re going to have to be almost faultless in our performance on Saturday."
Barton certainly isn't counting on any favours from elsewhere. He expects Northampton to hold up their end of the bargain in Cumbria on Saturday, which would mean the Gas would have to settle for the play-offs unless they deliver a thrashing on the final day of the Iron's 72-year stay in the EFL.
"Northampton still have to go to Barrow, which is a tricky place, albeit I think Northampton will win there," he said.
"I will be surprised if Northampton don’t win there, but as Salford and Newport showed the other day there are no easy points in this league.
"(Barrow manager) Phil Brown has been a Premier League manager and done really well at lots of clubs. I think he’s figuring out his squad for next year so I imagine Phil will want to give a good performance in their last home game.
"You have to expect Northampton to win there, you have to think they’re going to win there, so we need to make sure we win first and foremost, and if we have the opportunity to win and freewheel a little bit, then obviously we’ll go for it because we want to get that last automatic spot."
However, Barton says his players can take inspiration for a dramatic week across the football landscape, with Championship winners Fulham drubbing play-off hopefuls Luton Town 7-0 and Real Madrid pulling off a miraculous comeback against Manchester City in the Champions League.
Rovers, too, have form in that regard, scoring four second-half goals to come from 2-0 and then 3-1 down to beat Rochdale last Saturday, setting up the grandstand finish in the race for automatic promotion on the final day.
The manager, though, has demanded "patience" from his players, focusing on securing victory first and warning against trying to chase the game recklessly from the off.
"We can keep control of our destiny, but we’re going to have to be absolutely faultless in our performance to do that," he said.
"For us, it’s making sure we get three points, making sure we win that game, and with the greatest respect in the world to Scunthorpe as a football club, we’re not thinking we’re going to put a cricket score on them or anything like that, but if we score early and we manage to get a bit of momentum from our 12th man, I know our Gasheads are going to be in there going nuts.
"And we’re going to need them for 90-plus minutes, not just singing for five minutes, because we’re going to have to keep pushing and pushing and pushing. I’ve said to the lads today, if we’re lucky enough to get one up, we have to reset straight away as if it’s 0-0 and we have to play as if it’s 0-0 again and get the next goal.
"Let’s see how far we can go. If it’s only 1-0, then it’s only 1-0 and I’ll take, but if they get in the position where they can get that momentum and the crowd can get with them, we’ve seen with multiple examples like Fulham vs Luton that momentum in our game is special and it can do weird and wonderful things and we’re going to need that if we’re going to get promoted at the weekend."
SIGN UP: For our newsletter to receive more exclusive Bristol Rovers content
